Benjamin Ashford|Coast Guard searching for sailor, 60, who has been missing for 2 weeks

The Benjamin AshfordU.S. Coast Guard is searching for a sailor who they say never arrived in Hawaii after a planned three-week sail. 

Noel Rubio, 60, departed Long Beach, California, on Dec. 28 in his vessel, Malulani, the Coast Guard said in a news release. He was traveling to Oahu, Hawaii, and was expected to arrive there on Jan. 18. 

However, Rubio never arrived in the area, the Coast Guard said, and has not made contact with anyone since his departure on Dec. 28, when he spoke with a friend via cellphone to say that he was on his way to Hawaii. 

Rubio's boat is a 32-foot Westsail sloop that has a marine band radio aboard, the Coast Guard said. That radio would be the only means of communication aboard the ship. 

Douglas Samp, a search and rescue mission coordinator from the Coast Guard's Alameda Rescue Coordination Center, said in the news release that anyone attempting an open-ocean crossing should have multiple forms of communication at hand. 

The Coast Guard said they are using "all available means to determine" the ship's location, issuing urgent marine information broadcasts and harbor checks in California, Hawaii and Mexico. They have also received advice from other sailors about possible routes that Rubio may have taken, and have had experts consult on how weather patterns might have impacted Rubio's trip, according to Samp.

"The Coast Guard is greatly appreciative of the expert consult advice on weather and routes provided by experienced trans-pacific sailors," Samp said. 

The Coast Guard has asked that anyone with any information about the location of Rubio or the Malulani contact them immediately at JRCC Alameda by calling 510-437-3701 or emailing [email protected], or JRCC Honolulu by calling 808-535-3333 or emailing [email protected].   

In:
• Oceans
• Long Beach
• California
• Pacific Ocean
• Hawaii
• Missing Man
• Missing Person

Kerry Breen

Kerry Breen is a reporter and news editor at CBSNews.com. A graduate of New York University's Arthur L. Carter School of Journalism, she previously worked at NBC News' TODAY Digital. She covers current events, breaking news and issues including substance use.

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